Guy, thanks for sharing the way the game changed, how you adapted and how you think about building an immersive world. Take as long as you want on these, its invaluable
I really appreciated this video. It allowed me some insight into how you deal with things that come up as a GM that have helped refine my own process. So, I hope you continue with these types of reviews as the campaign moves forward.
This was great. It shows GMs what can go wrong, and how you handled it. Tempting the players worked so well, it is something I might do more. Improv can be a powerful tool.
I love this kind of videos. It's super useful to hear your opinions on your own game, it helps following the backstage process of being a master. Thank you.
Avery's near-betrayal in session 1 was the best possible move he could have made as a player IMHO. He showed everyone at the table that his character MIGHT wind up that way. But we all know in time travel stories (most of them anyway) you can change the future. Since he put that out there as a possible future, and because that's obviously a bad future for everyone, it prompts the party to act against it. As a GM I'd love to take advantage of that. I'd give him other (smaller) temptations to keep that part of him in focus. Your players are truly fantastic, and you're doing a phenomenal job of aligning the game you're running to the one they want to play. That's what I see as the key trait of a great GM.
Love the video! And, again, I understand your concept, but your incredible ability to adapt and improvise with so little actual prep (ok you have an entire living world running in your mind but still) absolutely astonishes me. On a sidenote, how would you have handled Gerorgies head actually exploding? Magical resurrection would be difficult, wouldn't it? Because that would have then to be possible for the king and queen as well ... a deal offer from Damnefer perhaps? What if she declines? 😮 Oh the tension!!
About right in content and duration. I've watched all six. Frankly, I missed some of the links... most notably the undead centaur's link to the human villain. I have, and have read, your books on GMing and Epic campaigns (you sold me at Salt Marsh). It is interesting to see you apply that advice to an actual campaign.
I didnt saw the game that you mention, but lovebto hear about. The plot seens a little complicated for a start. I usually start small and simple, them I put the drama ans mistery, my players always get confused with so much whos is who, who is a ally and on. 😂😂😂
Am actually about to start a game (in 2 days) where an heir inherits the throne after the death of their father. Everything else is very very different but the coincidence is kind of funny
Saying that the players didn't go fwd in time at the start of the campaign but only sent messages back to their past selves is quite confusing. Did they go fwd or not? How did they go fwd? What did I miss guy?
I thought it was going to be a review of your first videos ever on this channel, in which you would agree or disagree with the things you were saying then. :)
Dealing openly with meta-knowledge only works if the entire group can handle it. How would you apply this to a group where most want the metagame, but one says no because xy finds it too tempting?
If you changed your past you would not need to send that message in the first place, so you would not receive it and get back to the point where you are sending it back... ok but why your "future you" did not receive that message? Hehe I hate time travel. 😅
This was so cool... love this format of looking behind the GM shield and thoughts. I'm loving this campaign .. kind sad to learn this will only the 3x6 episodes 😅.. but I'm here for it. Thanks for sharing
What I like about this (the playing and the breakdown) is that it show in situ what all your other videos are about. I sometimes doubted a little about the efficiency of the methods you talked about in previous videos are didn't understand fully. Now I understand and saw how they were efficient. Well played !
The thing is with the "mistakes" in the future you don't have to use that future. The messages back to the party and the bad guys, all changed the events in the present, so everyone on both sides will be changing that future. You don't need an undead centaur, maybe he never gets killed nor becomes a centaur. The players may reach the lich in 2 years not 20 all events can be wildly different, and it does not matter, that was a broken timeline. All that really matters is how episode 3 onwards shapes the story, while the players and us keep in mind the alternate future they are meant to stop. I can talk about this campaign for hours, so if anything, the episodes could be longer and more rambling as it all brought me back to the last 6 episodes, and added a lot of behind the scenes content as well. It is odd just how little you planned, and how much you just adapt on the spot. A lot of GMs seems to stick to a plan and it feels predetermined and the players are along for the ride, but when you adapt to the player's ideas, plans and choices, it makes it feel like the players are in control of the game, you are just throwing in things to challenge them, when they make poor decisions or fail rolls and the like.
I love the show and I really like this GM breakdown. It would also be interesting to see the character players put together a video of what was going on in their minds and how they are seemingly four real-life strangers coming together to make their character party work together really well. The players are wonderful at what they do.
It makes sense for him to have his full detail of headpoppers out there for assassination attempt. They may run into a few now and again as detached squads of enforcers to really dial up a combat encounter with an important NPC in the crosshairs.
Great video and breakdown. Loved hearing about the mistakes and your thoughts on correcting them. I think showing that sort of thing can really help us all be less afraid of "making mistakes" and just lean into them when they happen instead and use them to enrich the game. Thanks for sharing!
Guy, thanks for sharing the way the game changed, how you adapted and how you think about building an immersive world. Take as long as you want on these, its invaluable
Loved this format. Perfect to hear your dissection. Helps us learn and mold our own games.
I really appreciated this video. It allowed me some insight into how you deal with things that come up as a GM that have helped refine my own process. So, I hope you continue with these types of reviews as the campaign moves forward.
This was great. It shows GMs what can go wrong, and how you handled it. Tempting the players worked so well, it is something I might do more. Improv can be a powerful tool.
Head popping monsters, as the cosmological arcane wizard oodpop will tell you can only exist in this timeline/reality for 24 hours
Nice idea - temporarily summoned from another plane, at great cost and therefore not easily repeatable, that sort of thing?
I love this kind of videos. It's super useful to hear your opinions on your own game, it helps following the backstage process of being a master. Thank you.
Avery's near-betrayal in session 1 was the best possible move he could have made as a player IMHO. He showed everyone at the table that his character MIGHT wind up that way.
But we all know in time travel stories (most of them anyway) you can change the future. Since he put that out there as a possible future, and because that's obviously a bad future for everyone, it prompts the party to act against it. As a GM I'd love to take advantage of that. I'd give him other (smaller) temptations to keep that part of him in focus.
Your players are truly fantastic, and you're doing a phenomenal job of aligning the game you're running to the one they want to play. That's what I see as the key trait of a great GM.
Loving the game and your other content! Keep it going!
Love the video! And, again, I understand your concept, but your incredible ability to adapt and improvise with so little actual prep (ok you have an entire living world running in your mind but still) absolutely astonishes me.
On a sidenote, how would you have handled Gerorgies head actually exploding? Magical resurrection would be difficult, wouldn't it? Because that would have then to be possible for the king and queen as well ... a deal offer from Damnefer perhaps? What if she declines? 😮 Oh the tension!!
Looking forward to more of your episodes!
This was a perfect length of explanation!
I love ALL How to be a Great GM videos!!!! ❤
Lord Fam, always was a Centaur..
That was my thought, like Ganon in Legend of Zelda Link to the Past. He disguised his true form to get close to the king.
@@codyhoney9101 Brilliant
About right in content and duration. I've watched all six. Frankly, I missed some of the links... most notably the undead centaur's link to the human villain. I have, and have read, your books on GMing and Epic campaigns (you sold me at Salt Marsh). It is interesting to see you apply that advice to an actual campaign.
I didnt saw the game that you mention, but lovebto hear about. The plot seens a little complicated for a start. I usually start small and simple, them I put the drama ans mistery, my players always get confused with so much whos is who, who is a ally and on. 😂😂😂
Am actually about to start a game (in 2 days) where an heir inherits the throne after the death of their father. Everything else is very very different but the coincidence is kind of funny
The Prince turns into the big bad. The party have to team up with Lord Fam to destroy him lol
Saying that the players didn't go fwd in time at the start of the campaign but only sent messages back to their past selves is quite confusing. Did they go fwd or not? How did they go fwd? What did I miss guy?
I thought it was going to be a review of your first videos ever on this channel, in which you would agree or disagree with the things you were saying then. :)
Dealing openly with meta-knowledge only works if the entire group can handle it. How would you apply this to a group where most want the metagame, but one says no because xy finds it too tempting?
✌️
If you changed your past you would not need to send that message in the first place, so you would not receive it and get back to the point where you are sending it back... ok but why your "future you" did not receive that message? Hehe I hate time travel. 😅
This type of video sets this series above the rest of the excellent live play dnd UA-cam content. Brilliant stuff
This was so cool... love this format of looking behind the GM shield and thoughts.
I'm loving this campaign .. kind sad to learn this will only the 3x6 episodes 😅.. but I'm here for it.
Thanks for sharing
15:06 -My mind went "Scotty doesn't know!" from Eurotrip xD
What I like about this (the playing and the breakdown) is that it show in situ what all your other videos are about. I sometimes doubted a little about the efficiency of the methods you talked about in previous videos are didn't understand fully. Now I understand and saw how they were efficient. Well played !
The thing is with the "mistakes" in the future you don't have to use that future. The messages back to the party and the bad guys, all changed the events in the present, so everyone on both sides will be changing that future. You don't need an undead centaur, maybe he never gets killed nor becomes a centaur. The players may reach the lich in 2 years not 20 all events can be wildly different, and it does not matter, that was a broken timeline. All that really matters is how episode 3 onwards shapes the story, while the players and us keep in mind the alternate future they are meant to stop.
I can talk about this campaign for hours, so if anything, the episodes could be longer and more rambling as it all brought me back to the last 6 episodes, and added a lot of behind the scenes content as well.
It is odd just how little you planned, and how much you just adapt on the spot. A lot of GMs seems to stick to a plan and it feels predetermined and the players are along for the ride, but when you adapt to the player's ideas, plans and choices, it makes it feel like the players are in control of the game, you are just throwing in things to challenge them, when they make poor decisions or fail rolls and the like.
I love the show and I really like this GM breakdown. It would also be interesting to see the character players put together a video of what was going on in their minds and how they are seemingly four real-life strangers coming together to make their character party work together really well. The players are wonderful at what they do.
Absolutely loving the campaign. It’s one of the highlights of my week.
Listen to your process & mistakes after watching the episodes is very helpful.
It makes sense for him to have his full detail of headpoppers out there for assassination attempt. They may run into a few now and again as detached squads of enforcers to really dial up a combat encounter with an important NPC in the crosshairs.
This was a great breakdown! Would love another!
Well you can do stat blocks after the facts as sort of a paetron postmortem
Great video and breakdown. Loved hearing about the mistakes and your thoughts on correcting them. I think showing that sort of thing can really help us all be less afraid of "making mistakes" and just lean into them when they happen instead and use them to enrich the game. Thanks for sharing!
I was looking forward to this!